Girls win meet, relay sets school record

MEEKER I In the final meet of the regular season in Kremmling, the Meeker High School girls’ team won the Joe Shields Invitational in a field of 13 teams, and the 4×400-meter relay team broke a school record.
The Meeker boys’ team finished second, and both teams had several good performances. All the athletes will have one final chance to qualify for the state meet this weekend in Grand Junction during the regional meet. The top 18 times and distances across the state in each 2A event qualify for the state meet.
“We had another solid day in Kremmling at the Joe Shields Invitational,” Meeker head coach John Strate said. “The girls’ team continued to improve in their relays.”
The girls’ 4×400 relay team of Linda Olivas, Madison Russell, Maggie Phelan and Reese Pertile finished second in Kremmling, but they broke a school record by four seconds, putting them in a position to qualify for the state meet.
The girls 4×100-meter relay team (Olivas, Russell, Sydney Hughes and Halle Ahrens) ran the relay in 51.67, currently the third best 2A time, and the 4×200 team of Aly Ridings, Olivas, Hughes and Ahrens also have the third best 2A time. Ahrens also has the second fastest 2A time in the 100-meter dash.
Meeker senior Ohana Mataia won the discus competition in Kremmling with a throw of 107-10, which moves her into the seventh best 2A distance, and she has the eighth- best distance in the shot put.
The boys’ team finished second behind Summit County High School. The Cowboys were led by senior Jeremy Musgrave, who cleared 6 feet in the high jump, and he triple jumped 40-9, both qualifying him for the state meet.
The boys’ 4×200-meter relay team of J.C. Henderson, Jake Phelan, Anthony Watt and Musgrave “ran a good race,” according to Strate, finishing third, putting them in the mix of qualifying.
Coach Strate said Henderson, Caleb Lange, Tristin Pelloni and Aaron Cochran “dominated the meet” in the 4×800-meter relay, and “they are looking forward to the time they can post in the regional meet.”
“The regional meet should give us a great opportunity to improve on some times and distances,” Strate said. “The nice weather and the two-day format usually mean the season’s best performances. Some of our athletes and relays will use the regional meet to improve on their standing in the top 18 in order to get better lane assignments at the state meet. For others, it will be their last chance to break into the top 18.”